Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-03-03
This unfortunate man." said INV 1


lis one Guido Ventura. Whether he is
an Italian. a Spaniard or an American.
cannot positively say Probably an Amer
lean. 1t is the new world which usually
sends us these virtuosos in the art of using
the revolver or the rifle. And besides,
it was from America that he came di-
rectly TO France. You might have seen
him yourself last year at the Alcazar
d'Automne. where he gave four or five
exhibitions: and would have drawn all
Paris TO see him, if his series of perform
ances had not been suddenly interrupted
by circumstances which am about TO re-
late. But must begin at the beginning.
There is quite a romance connected with
the affairAand one which am certainly
the only person who knows, because dur
ing the six months this man has been with
me was the only one able to get any in
formation from him. / have been able to
get the main incidents of the story just by
putting together words or incidents which
he would involuntarily speak of in mo-
ments of delrium Sol tell it to you just
as believe it to be-feeling sure my pen
etration is not AT fault.
..When Guido Ventura came to Paris
he had with him a young woman known
rs MISS Sldbtild. s-llt WIS d
creature of about 90. with the face of a
goddess and the body of statue. Any
one could observe and admire that figure
Of hers at the evening performances in the
Alcazar. where she appeared in close fit
ting pages costume-pearl gray tights,
showing the fine contour OF limbs, both
vigorous and graceful, and extremities Of
charming delicacy-and doublet of black
So,
strong, supple and full of splendid curves.
When you saw her with her head proudly
thrown back the face would have made
You think of Diana the Huntress.
ITO tell the truth she had no end of ad-
mirers. and in less than a week il had be
come the fashion 10 go and see this Won
derful Arabella, who assisted the eele
brated marksman Guido Ventura in his
exhibitions. She looked simply exquisite
in her picturesque costume, which brought
out her robust and elegant beauty TO the
best possible advantage, when she would
stand with arms folded, right in the glare
of the footlghts. with perfectly impas-
sive face, in front of Guido Ventura,
sometimes holding a card in her hand for
him TO cut with a pistol ball; sometimes
holding a pipe in her mouth, of which he
would break the stem Just two inches be-
yond Der lips: sometimes placing nut
shell on her head for him to shatter with
unfail'ng aim.
"One moments trembling of the marks
mans hand and it would have been all up
with the splendid girl. But the hand of
Guido Ventura never trembled.
What relation did the wonderful
beauty bear 20 him? Was she his wife?
1t was probable, but not certain. The
question was not considered Of much i'm
portance. because the couple had come
from a country where marriage may be
celebrated in one state and dissolved in
another What was certain was that
Guido Ventura worshiped that woman as
one worShips an idol. To he certain Of it,
it WAS only necessary once To see the way
his ewes would flash if some too gallant
gentleman in the foyer made himself a
| little too familiar with the beauty. Jeal-
ous2 Certainly he was jealous, I'D you
know the Othellos of the new world are
not apt Ia be patient about certain mat
| ters.
''The man must have suffered afro
| ciously; for his companion was as coquet-
| tish as she was pretty, and she seemed 10
| find fun i'll eXaSperating his jealousy.
| Sometimes, il the notion took her, she
! would flirt with a man that she had never
seen before, showing the tact and self
possession peculiar TO American girls in
tantalizing as well as fascinating. Very
little she seemed to care about what she
made the unfortunate man suffer through